Description

For grade levels 6-12

Line Art is an image that consists of distinct straight or curved lines placed against a plain background, without gradations in shade or hue to represent two-dimensional or three-dimensional objects. Line art is a great way to communicate a complex idea in a simplified manner.Here we choose to depict a birch forest.Ask students to visualize a forest and pick out the most important elements to communicate its beauty. Then have them create it in clay.

Objectives

Students will experience the use of clay techniques and processes.

Students will use their imagination to create a forest.

Students will create depth to express real life objects

Instructions

Roll a slab approximately 1/4 inch thick.

Tear the outside edge of the slab so it has a ridged look.

Compress both sides of the clay with a rib tool.

Place paint brushes or pens under the slab where you would like foreground trees.

Smooth clay around the pens with a damp sponge.

Cut 2 holes for the rope.

Let dry.

Bisque fire to cone (Δ) 04.

With the Bright Blue Designer Liner*, create a horizontal line across the piece, without going over the raised trees, as these are in the foreground. *Shake the bottle before using.

While the Designer Liner is still wet, use a finger wipe down and blur the line.

Use Black Designer Liner to create the trees.

Mix Black Designer Liner and Silk Screen Medium to the consistency of peanut butter. Silkscreen the plants on the bottom section of the piece.

Description

For grade levels 6-12

Fall is the perfect time to enjoy all things pumpkin. The word pumpkin originates from the word pepon, which is Greek for "large melon", something round and large. The French adapted this word to pompon, which the British changed to pumpion, later being altered to the pumpkin by American Colonists.

Pumpkins come in all shapes and sizes, opening the doors for many creative projects. Students can create a pumpkin as traditional or funky as they wish! Spend some time researching different types of pumpkins before committing to the first pumpkin design that comes to mind.

Objectives

Students will experience the use of clay techniques and processes.

Students will gain firsthand knowledge of how to make vegetables out of clay.

Students will create textures to express real-life objects.

Instructions

Create a pinch pot with about 1lb of clay.

Leave the top rim about half an inch thick

Flip over and gather the top of the pot so it looks round when sat down.

Draw 8 lines from the top of the pumpkin to the base with the back part of a paintbrush.

Using 2 fingers on the inside of the pumpkin push the space between the lines out so there is a visual bulge.

Rub the edges of lines drawn to soften and blend into pumpkin shape.

Create stem by rolling out a small piece of clay in a cone.

Make a thin flat disc of clay slightly bigger than the stem base.

Attach stem to flat base by score and slip method.

Add flat base to the top of the pumpkin by score and slip method.

Texture the stem with a skewer stick.

Roll out a thin coil for the vine to attach to base of stem with score and slip method.

Description

For grade levels 4-8

The word dragon entered the English language in the early 13th century from the Latin word: draconem (nominative draco) meaning "huge serpent, dragon". Most dragons have reptilians and serpent-like qualities including scales, lizard-like legs, and wings.

Dragons in today’s world are seen in such books as JK Rowlings’ Harry Potter series or J.R. R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, and your students are sure to connect with many others. Start their creative juices flowing by checking out some of the creatively illustrated dragons in media today and then challenge your students to draw their own unique dragon and egg.

Sketching out a dragon will allow them time to develop the personality of their dragon, which will be reflected in the egg. During the sketching process, be sure to talk about texture, contour and unique traits a dragon egg can have. The possibilities are endless! (ie, Fire dragons might have bright red skin and blue eyes, horned dragons might have green skin and little horns all over their head)

Objectives

Students will experience the use of clay, techniques and processes.

Students will gain firsthand knowledge of how to create a 3D sculpture from a 2D drawing.

Students will create texture by using negative space on a form.

Students will antique with glazes.

Students will understand the connection between modern media and Art.

Instructions

Begin with about 2 lbs. of low-fire white clay.

Create 2 pinch pots, one slightly taller and thinner than the other. These should be slightly thicker than a normal pinch pot, about ¾ in. thick.

The shorter, wider pinch pot will be your base. Sit the taller, thinner pinch pot on top so that the open sections make one sphere.

Connect the 2 pinch pots by pulling clay from the bottom pinch pot up and over the connection point and up the side to make a smooth transition.

Now that air is trapped inside the sphere, roll the top and bottoms into an egg shape. Be sure to create a flat spot so it won’t roll away.

Next, texturize the dragon egg to your liking.

To create scales, it is easiest to sit the egg on the bigger side and use a pallet knife press 3 indentations into to the top section of the clay (see image 1) in 3 sections.

Continue pushing the pallet knife into the space between the 2 previous knife pushes to create a scale pattern.

Once scales are completed, hollow out a space for the dragon eye to peak out.

Use a tooth pick to carve in cracks around the space for the eye.

Cut a hole in the bottom of the egg so that air can be released.

Dry and bisque fire to cone (Δ) 04.

Paint 1 messy coat of SC-15 Tuxedo over the entire piece.

With a damp sponge gently wipe off the surface so the black stays in all the crevices. (Technique: antiquing)

Paint 3 coats of CG992 Mint Chip over the egg except for the eyeball and cracks.

Wipe off any CG992 that may have gotten on the eye of the dragon.

Paint the eye from the inside out using a liner brush paint 3 coats of SC15 for pupil, then SC6 blended into SC75 into SC74 working out for a marbleized effect.

Remove any glaze in the cracks near the eye with a tooth pick and then paint 3 coats of SC 15 with a liner brush.

Description

For grade levels 6-12

Wind chimes are a type of percussion instrument constructed from suspended tubes, rods, bells or other objects that are often made of metal or wood. The tubes or rods are suspended along with some type of weight or surface which the tubes or rods can strike when they or another wind-catching surface are blown by the natural movement of air outside. Wind chimes are considered Chance-Based music because the notes are determined by nature air patterns.Students will create the individual parts of the wind chime and then assemble the components.

Objectives

Students will experience the use of clay techniques and processes.

Students will gain firsthand knowledge of how to make a musical instrument

Students will create textures to express real life objects

Instructions

Roll a slab approximately 1/4 inch thick

Cut out feather shapes with skewer stick.

Use a damp sponge to round off the edges.

Set leaves aside while creating the branch.

Roll a wide coil with a small piece of clay to use as a branch.

Roll coil around MT002 so that the wood grain follows the coil.

Set branch aside to dry

Using a ballpoint pen draw a straight line down the middle of the feather.

Draw thin lines towards the bottom of the feather at a 45-degree angle.

Repeat on the back side of the feather.

Using a skewer make a small hole about ½ inch from the top.

Dry and bisque fire to cone (Δ) 04.

Paint one coat of SC-34 on the branch and then wipe lightly with a damp sponge leaving some color in the crevasse.

Paint one coat of SC-5 on the branch and then wipe lightly with a damp sponge leaving some color.

With a fan brush lightly paint one coat of SC-46 on the branch in patches that have no color.

Paint 3 coats each feather with a variety of the following combos: a.)CG993 on the top half of feather and SC33 on the bottom half. b.) CG995 on the top half of feather and SC97 on the bottom half. c.) CG996 on the top half of feather and SC28 on the bottom half. d.)CG992 on the top half of feather and SC27 on the bottom half.

With a damp sponge wipe the bottom of the feather so texture shows through the glaze.

Description

For grade levels 6-12

Bonsai is a Japanese art form involving pruning miniature trees grown in containers. Similar practices exist in other cultures, including the Chinese tradition of penjing from which the art originated, and the miniature living landscapes of Vietnamese hòn non bộ. The Japanese art of Bonsai dates back over a thousand years and has evolved its own unique aesthetics and terminology. The oldest known Bonsai tree is over 1,000 years old and resides in Parabiago, Italy.

Bonsai has a set of common guidelines and styles that are followed to create an aesthetically pleasing tree. Bonsai trees can be categorized by: trunk, bark, roots, branch and overall shape.

Students will draw a bonsai tree that represents their personality, and then, using a paper transfer technique they will create a plaque out of clay.

Objectives

Students will experience the use of clay techniques and processes.

Students will gain firsthand knowledge of how to transfer a drawing on paper to clay

Students will create textures to express real life objects

Students will learn the basic styles of Bonsai

Instructions

Roll a slab approximately ¾ inch thick

Cut in a circle about 7 inches in diameter

Cut the bottom of the slab straight across so your plaque can stand or be hung.

Draw a bonsai tree on paper (no larger than 7 inches in any direction).

Cut out the tree using x-acto knife or scissors (be sure to keep the negative of the cutout).

Place the positive cutout on the slab where you want your tree and then place the negative cutout on the clay and smooth it with a dry sponge so there are no bumps.

Remove the positive cut out.

Using PSTS9MC-10081 tools, carve out where the trunk and limbs will be.

Using a ballpoint pen, lightly tap to make indentations on the tree top.

Remove the paper and clean up edges.

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Mask off the tree, roots, and leaves with masking tape, using an x-acto knife to make the edges crisp.

Paint 3 coats of a sunset in an Ombre style with the stroke and coat colors.

Remove tape and paint 3 coats using EL 142 Grass on the leaves using a round brush and stippling technique to push the glaze into the small indentations of the leaves.

Paint 3 coats with EL-145 Ginger Root on the branches, trunk, and roots of the tree.